1. Visit the studio beforehand
Not many musicians take the time to come visit prior to their recording. We couldn't recommend this enough. It will help you get your bearings knowing exactly where everything is especially if it's your first time recording. It will also do wonders for pre-recording jitters as you'll feel more relaxed after understanding the surroundings of a professional recording studio.
2. There is no substitute for being well-rehearsed
In the run up to your recording session it is vital to use your time wisely. Make sure you and your band are clear as to what tracks you will be recording prior to your arrival. But more importantly rehearse like your life depends on it. Ensure your performance is clean and that you are in synch with one another. It will do wonders for your performance in the studio and it will make a great professional impression on the people who are recording with you. Besides you'll be able to make the most of your time in the booth which is both cost and time effective for you and incredibly helpful to the engineers too.
3. Record your most recent performance
Recording is not a forgiving process, just because your 45 minute set sounded good in the pub doesn't mean it will fully translate onto an album. A great idea to help improve your sound before entering the studios is to record one of your performances. This could be a rehearsal in your garage or a full on festival appearance. Just make sure you get the whole set not just a few select songs. Once you have your live recording bring it in to your session. It's a fantastic way to discover what areas you need to improve on instead of wasting time discovering that for yourself in front of the engineers. Sometimes you don't even realise yourself what you may be doing wrong. Whether you subconsciously increase the tempo or perhaps start to sing some flat notes, this can all be brought to your attention prior to anything being set in stone.4. Rest well before a recording session
Now this sounds like a no-brainer I'm sure but you can't imagine the amount of over-stressed and highly sleep deprived artists that walk through the doors. The mere thought of recording sends some people into bouts of anxiety. The simplest advice is not to panic but to try to look forward to your session. That positivity will lead to a great night's sleep which is much needed for your vocal chords. If you're not singing the advice still applies. It will massively help with concentration levels and overall contribute to you playing to the best of your abilities when recording in the studio.
5. Warm up your vocals prior to recording
Remember to get up early enough to wake up your vocal chords as well as your brain, most people need a good hour or two in the morning before they start to sing. Just remember to do a few scales before you go to record. Waking up the vocal chords is essential for a professional take. The warm up will increase your expressive capabilities as well as opening up your range and will further improve your consistency. It will also help save valuable time so that you can get the best out of the session so don't forget!
6. Get to know the engineers
These guys are the masterminds behind your songs. They will be there every step of the recording process, therefore it would be wise to get to know them prior to getting into the recording booth. Sit down with them and discuss what kind of direction you would like your song to go in. Ask questions about the recording process. The more you discuss ideas and directions the more of chance they will be on the same page as you musically and creatively. This will in turn help produce an even better sounding song/album.
7. Plan what you want out of a session
Now that you've discussed your ideas with the engineer it's now time to put that into a plan. Write out exactly want you want to get out of that session and how you're going to go about achieving it. Knowing how you're going to spend your time is crucial. Everyone will benefit from understanding exactly what you want to achieve, especially a producer or engineer as they will be able to push your sound and music in the direction you have envisioned. The reality is a perfect end product is hard to come by so the clearer you are from the get-go the closer to a fully realised project you will get by the end of the recording process.8. Be realistic to what you can achieve
We often have people coming in thinking they can achieve a polished to perfection album in only a half day session. Let's be honest here that's not going to happen. Don't come in expecting everything to magically come to fruition. Recording is a hard and arduous process that requires effort from both parties. Therefore if you're serious about creating an album always book an appropriate amount of time for it. Many musicians neglect to factor in mixing and mastering into the process let alone just being able to record everything. So allow plenty of time in order to produce the best overall product you can.
9. Seek advice and use the expertise of the engineers
It can be quite intimidating to record in front of engineers, but they're only there to help! If you think a track is missing something just ask. Because of their vast experience they can provide the best insight into what works and what doesn't. Never be scared to ask questions even if you think it's silly. Chances are they've heard them all before regardless. They are there to guide you so make the most of their knowledge while you can.
10. Perform as if you were in front of an
audience
This sounds slightly strange but just picture it. A packed out audience before you all looking towards you with expectant eyes. If you picture this instead of the microphone in front of you you are guaranteed to put more into your take. This will ultimately translate into an emotive and expressive performance. Don't be afraid to mess up, the more you put into the recording the more you will get out of it. Just focus on trying to reach and connect with the listener as it will really bring an authentic feel to your recording.By Melissa Tucker
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